You can be one of the selected participants!
The first course in the Human Rights Education (HEY) programme will address media and information literacy. The deadline for applications is 18 February.
On this International Day of Education, which this year encourages reflections on the power of education to equip individuals and communities to navigate, understand and influence technological advancement, the North-South Centre (NSC) is launching a call for applications for the online tutored course on Media and Information Literacy (MIL), the first of its new HEY programme.
The course will be implemented online in English from 3 to 30 March 2025. A call for the french edition of the course will be launched soon, and editions in other languages are also foreseen.
Are you a young person from Europe, Africa and the Middle East, engaged in civil society, with a special interest in media and information? This opportunity may be for you.
Upon successful completion of the online course, you will have the opportunity to apply for a residential training of tutors and join a network of youth actors for change to run regional and national courses like this one and multiply the knowledge within your community!
The objectives of the course are as follows:
- To enhance knowledge on human rights and freedom of expression specifically through the understanding of the theoretical framework (concepts and principles), as well as the role of media and regulation and self-regulation and media ethical standards.
- To enhance media and information literacy competences (knowledge and skills) in the digital sphere by development of critical thinking and critical assessment.
- To build resilience and e-participation in the context of information disorder and new technologies.
Topics covered
The course will cover various dimensions of media literacy and information, and how they are related to human rights and democracy, including a special focus on relevant legal frameworks, freedom of expression, privacy, digital threats, critical analysis, media manipulation, the role of digital platforms, online participation, and emerging digital threats, among others.
Applications for the course are open until 18 February 2025 (23:59 UTC – Lisbon time), through the online application form. The selection will be carried out by the secretariat of the North-South Centre, seeking gender and geographical balance.
For more information on the application, and to learn more about the eligibility criteria, and selection processes, please carefully read the call for participants .
Selection criteria
40 participants will be selected for this activity, and the application content will be the basis of the selection’s procedure. Priority will be given to candidates active in a CSO or a youth organisation/platform/youth-related institution. Candidates should be able to communicate in English, which is the working language of the course.
Further information
HEY is a new programme by the North-South Centre that aims at building capacity of young people in Europe, Africa and the Middle East to act for human rights, by raising their knowledge and understanding of European standards and other international legal frameworks for human rights protection, such as specific United Nations, League of Arab States and African Union treaties, conventions, protocols and charters, on issues identified as important by young people and in line with the priorities of the Council of Europe.
It builds on the Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) programme, which has been successfully training legal professionals on topics related to human rights and rule of law for over 20 years in Council of Europe member States and beyond, combining that expertise with the experience gathered by the North-South Centre over 35 years working with young people and civil society and the Council of Europe’s long history of building capacity of young people and organised civil society on human rights in its member states
Implemented in the framework of the iLEGEND III project, the course contributes to empower young people to imagine ways to address global crises and counter fear-based thinking. It fosters active citizenship to promote justice, human rights and democracy, co-responsibility, equity, and sustainable development at local and global level.
It builds on the successful implementation of the course on Global Education and Media in 2022, 2023 and 2024, which was revised to include relevant content from the HELP course on Freedom of Expression, as well as relevant information and resources from the Council of Europe and other recognised sources.
Human rights education is part of SDG 4.7. to ensure that all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development and to contribute, among other, to promote a culture of global citizenship.
The English edition of the course, delivered from March 3 to 30, 2025, will soon be followed by the French edition.
Useful links
More informaion at: coe.int